What Makes A Good CV?

Cover Letters – Connor Armes

Make sure your CV is the best?

Your CV is the first form of contact with the employer, so make sure your first impression is a good one. The right CV can be a great improvement into your future careers, so make it a good detailed CV so yours represents a very worthwhile investment.

Keep your CV cover letter simple?

Take time and effort to create a CV to the best of your ability, but don’t spoil the impression by sending a complicated cover letter. Make it simple so the employer can move as quickly as possible onto the CV.

Keeping it brief?

Remember for the cover letters, the shorter the better, you don’t want to have an excellent CV but repeat all the information on the cover letter. Doing so is wasting the time of the employer which would preferably want to look at the CV.

How to address the letter?

Be careful how you address the letter. It needs to be addressed exactly as appears in the advertisement. Many of the conventions about letter writing are now considered to be old fashioned, but that is no excuse for what could be seen as bad manners. Be sure never to appear over-familiar by addressing someone that you do not know by their first name.

Layout?

Put your own name, address and phone number at the top right hand side, underneath this should be the date on either the right or left as preferred. Be sure that the address the letter carefully as per the advertisement. Put the job description and publication where you saw the advertisement as the heading to the letter in bold type.

What to say?

Obviously this will vary from one case to another, but don’t go through all the information which is already included in your CV. It is a very good idea to give a reason why you are particularly attracted to the position on offer. This will personalise your letter and show that you are not merely applying for any job which may be available.

CVs – Michael Edwards

A CV, or curriculum vitae is a document that you send to a prospective employer to advertise yourself as a possible employee. It details your personal attributes and tries to convince the employer that you are the best person for the job. Oxforddictionaries.com defines a CV as:

noun (plural curricula vitae /-lə/)

· a brief account of a person’s education, qualifications, and previous occupations, typically sent with a job application: send a curriculum vitae and the names of two referees

A CV should be neat, short – two sides of A4, typed and to the best standard possible. It should be positive, emphasising your achievements and strengths. Use positive action words. It should make a good impression, so the layout should be clear and the important facts about you should be instantly readable. Things that need to be included in your CV are: your name, address, phone number, email address and your career history, including qualifications.

Things that you may want to include in your CV are: a personal profile, which is a short statement about you at the beginning of the CV which shows what skills, experience and personal qualities you have, to advertise yourself to a potential employer. Try and include positive words in this section. This section could be changed to suit each job application, so that it is made clear that you are the right person for the job. You could also include a list of what you did well in previous jobs which would be relevant to the job you are applying for. You could also include a list of your interests if your hobbies share skills with the job that you are applying for. You could also have two or more people provide a personal reference, which would relate to the job you are applying for. They do not need to be an employer if you have not worked for a while, and can be a person who has known you for a long time.

Example CV – Jonathon Nash

Useful tips this website gives out: · Don’t make it too elaborate. · Use words that will really make the reader want to see you. · Use a good quality printer and paper. · Always use a paper colour that is easy to photocopy. · Use an appropriate layout for you. Analysing a CV: http://www.callcentrehelper.com/how-do-i-analyse-cvs-to-best-effect-167.htm References · Oxford Dictionaries. 2012. curriculum vitae. [ONLINE] Available at: http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/curriculum+vitae. [Accessed 21 September 12]. · Directgov. 2011. Writing a CV. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Employment/Jobseekers/Helpapplyingforajob/DG_173655. [Accessed 21 September 12]. · CV Consultancy. 2007. Professional CV Writing - how to write CV Cover Letters. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.cv-consultancy.co.uk/free-advice-on-covering-letters/. [Accessed 21 September 12]. · Bradley CVs. 2012. CV / resume example by Bradley CVs UK. [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.bradleycvs.co.uk/cvservice/examcv.htm. [Accessed 21 September 12].